LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, fell down stairs at the Senate after voting Wednesday to confirm a new HUD Secretary in Washington.

McConnell was helped up by senators Steve Daines and Markwayne Mullin, according to FOX News reporter Chad Pergram. McConnell appears to be "ok" according to Pergram. 

A spokesperson for McConnell said, "Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work."

McConnell is using a wheelchair as a precautionary measure, according to a McConnell spokesperson. 

McConnell stepped down from his Senate leadership position last year. 

McConnell was voting to confirm Scott Turner as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Turner, a former NFL player and Texas representative, was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday in an 55-44 vote.

The now 82-year-old is the longest-serving senator from Kentucky, and was the longest-serving Senate leader in history, having won his first election to the Senate in 1984. He served as Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 until 2024.

McConnell’s health and age has been a topic of public concern in recent years. He experienced two highly publicized health incidents in 2023, freezing mid-sentence during press appearances in July and September.

In March 2023, he was hospitalized with a concussion and missed several weeks of work after falling in a hotel. In December last year, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon. 

McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.

While he won't be at the helm of the Senate as he finishes his term, which ends in 2027, political analysts say his influence is far from diminished. He's now serving as the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, a position analysts said retains significant clout.

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